Finding Home
by AirborneGirl
Summary: When Jess is pining away over Rory in California, his new friend will go to great lengths to get them back together. COMPLETE!
1. Pining

**Disclaimer: **Don't own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. Do net even own the computer I'm working on. Do own the character of Kat.

**Rating: PG-13 **for some mild swearing.

**Finding home**

_Give a detailed description of your view on the troubles facing the main character of the novel "The old man and the sea." Essay due December 18th._

Jess Mariano sighed, stretching his legs underneath the too small desk in the back of the library. Not that he didn't know the answer. He did. He read the book only so many times, he could almost dream it. Chewing the end of his pen, he thought of a way to compose his essay.

While thinking, he grinned at himself. Here he was, actually attending school, no…university. UCLA to be exact. Doing tests and assignments, writing essays, trying to get by. He'd worked all summer, attending summer school, then evening school and finally got his GED, which was about the same as any high school diploma, late September. He'd already applied for college, not thinking for one minute he would get in. But with some string pulling from one of his literature teachers, who was impressed by his writing skills and the amount of books that he'd already read, he somehow found himself right here, UCLA. Okay, not Ivy League, but college still. And he was a month behind due to his late graduation. But he was kind of glad to be here. He had to proof he was worth something. Something more than wasting his time being the proud owner of a hotdog stand. Something more than his deadbeat father.

For himself mind you, not for the promise he made. Made to her.

He didn't miss her. Nope, not one bit. It had taken him a long time to come to that point. But now he didn't miss her any more. He didn't wake up in a sweat, hands cramped in almost physical pain while trying to reach out to the one safely next to him…who wasn't there. He didn't bury his head in his pillow in a pointless attempt to smell her natural scent that was there long ago. Rory. The best high that ever was offered to him. And so he absolutely didn't want to earn his high school diploma or any college degree to honor her. He didn't, okay? Really, this was all for him. For him only.

Because, let's get real here. She would have been disappointed, of course, but she would have forgiven him, like she always did, because that's who she is. She would have forgiven him if he killed the Pope. She would. But he couldn't. Couldn't stand her constant support when he knew he didn't deserve any of it. Didn't deserve her. So the decision to leave and go live with his so-called father, was the best one he ever made. It was the only way he could think of to protect his precious pure angel from becoming tainted and scarred. By his actions. It was inevitable she would at some point. He couldn't stand the thought, but knew it to be true.

She would thank him in a while. She would get over it. Find a decent Yale guy who had the ability and the heart to treat her like she should be treated. And she would never give him another moment's thought. That's how he wanted it to be. Even if it killed him in the process.

But if it did…then why did he need to graduate?

Damn him! Damn all fucking beautiful men around here, keeping her from her Essay, which was due day after tomorrow. And most of all, damn Jess Mariano, for being both the hottest and the most unobtainable guy to roam the dorms of UCLA. Of course, she, the notorious Katerina Felicia Annabella Mendosa, better known as Kat, who was used to always getting what she wanted, had tried to win him over. To no avail. He was friendly enough, intelligent enough, but not interested. Even when she was drunk enough to be straightforward and just ask him, he kindly rejected her. No, he wasn't interested in dating her. And before she asked, he wasn't interested in dating anyone. Not now, anyway.

First, Kat was insulted. Never before in her life had she not gotten her hands on anything she wanted and boy, it hurt her precious ego. What the fuck was wrong with her, that Jess didn't even notice her? She was not the kind of girl who appreciated being unnoticed, thank you very much!

But, once over her sore ego (luckily, she wasn't the kind of girl to hold a grudge) they actually became quite good friends, as they were now. And it gave her ample opportunity to study him. That's how she eventually found out. He was pining. The harder he tried to hide it, the more obvious it showed. Jess was terribly hurt by someone he cared for very much. Someone who broke his heart. Someone he could not get over. Jess had loved and lost and wasn't ready to go through the ordeal of dating yet again.

Not that she ever asked him about it, though. Neither of them were big talkers and their friendship therefore was based on what they told each other without words. All she knew for a fact was that indeed there had been a special girl in his life. He still carried her picture around, using it as a bookmark to make it less conspicuous, which hardly worked.

Today was somehow worse. Maybe it was a special day for them, a birthday, an anniversary. Whatever it was, he had that pained, distant look in his eyes again. Such a shame, she'd actually believed he was doing better lately.

Kat sighed. She couldn't stand seeing him moping like that. So she decided to talk to him before it would eat him alive. She would just drag the story out off him if necessary. Knowing him pretty well, it would be.

The scratching of her chair on the old tile floor made some students look up, annoyed at the distraction. Kat just shrugged and restrained herself for sticking out her tongue at a preppy little squirt in the back. Jess hadn't even flinched though, wrapped up as he was in memory-land. He didn't even acknowledge her presence until she waved her hand in front of his eyes. "Earth to Mariano. Anybody home?" "Funny, Kat. Very funny. What do you want?" "Man, who died and made you Godfather? I was just trying to ask you to take a break with me. I'm done with nineteenth century poets for today." "Sorry Kat, I'm just…busy." "Busy my ass. You haven't written more than three words down for the past hour." "Are you checking up on me now?" "With good reason apparently. Come on, Jess, just come get a drink with me, or some fresh air." "Kat…I…thanks, but I don't feel like it okay? I'm just not in the best of moods today." "Could have fooled me." He scowled at her, but of course Kat, whose father could give Don Corleone a run for his money, were the last one mentioned a true person, wasn't even remotely impressed. She started dragging him away from his desk by his arm. "Come on, no good pining over a situation you can't change." That one caught him off guard for sure. "Pining? Who says I'm pining?" "Jess…" He dropped the attitude almost immediately. He was tired of it anyway. "So what if I am?" "Then either get your mind off the subject or do something about it." "About what?" "About whatever the situation with this girl is. Obviously you left something undone, or you wouldn't be pining over her the way you do." "Maybe…" "Jess, I don't mean to be pushy, but it might help if you…you know, tell me more about her. Maybe it'll get it off your chest." Jess heaved a sigh and tried to give her a genuine smile. Kat wasn't so bad. And she was right. Maybe talking about Rory would help him. If only he knew where to start.

**Author's note:**

Well, that's it! The first chapter of my first continuing story. I hope you enjoyed it. Any constructive criticism about the story itself or its grammatical construction is welcome, but please keep in mind that English is not my first language. Anyway, please _Review_...


	2. Planning: the mendosa way

They spent the rest of their afternoon in Kat's dorm room. Her roommate was nowhere to be found and had left a message for Kat not to wait up for her. So they had the entire (entire meaning the crowded) room for themselves. After two beers to encourage him a little, Jess began his story. The whole fucking lot. His childhood, his sentence to Hell in Stars Hollow, his savior with the name of Rory and the way he single handedly managed to blow it all to pieces.

All the while Kat just listened, nodded and handed him a new drink when she noticed him running out. Of drinks or of courage.

When finally Jess's story seemed to be done, Kat was awed. Here, right in front of her, was a man who was considered to be the most intelligent of his class, maybe of his year, and he was completely in the dark when it came to love. The boy just didn't understand. Now that she knew more about his past with this mystery girl, she could reconstruct events and picture it going down the drain. It baffled her how wrong the guy was! First of all, he had now idea whatsoever about his own strength. Which was just mad. Second, he though she, the girl he ran away from, would probably hate him, while Kat knew, felt, that if this girl really did love Jess, she would pine like he did now. She would love him still, would love him forever. She would maybe try to hate him, but that would never work. She would never succeed.

Kat Mendosa had one strong quality: she was a planner. She loved it, was good at it. And she had one serious weakness: she was a hopeless romantic. Put those two together and there she was: planning a perfect way to help her friend: planning a way to get him and the girl he loved together.

Sometimes, Kat pondered, sometimes the best plan is not to have a plan at all. Sometimes it was best just to jump headfirst into a problem. That's what she would do. First, a call to Gino Mendosa, rich, infamous and daddy. A ticket to Hartford, Connecticut would be ready for her at the Airport check-in desk. Good.

Next came shopping. She needed sweaters. It's hard to get good sweaters in California but she needs them as it is almost winter in Connecticut. Ugh, she hates winter. She's a Mendosa. Originally from Chicago. Winters are terrible there. That's why the entire family packed up and left for a sunnier location. Or maybe to flee from the IRS. Never mind.

She sighed. With shopping and packing done, all that was left was to form a good enough excuse for Jess when she told him she was taking a few days off. Luckily for her, he bought her family emergency story, it was likely enough. Being from a catholic Italian family meant having lots of relatives. So there was always some niece, some second cousin, some uncle she hadn't mentioned yet.

Grinning by herself she hopped on board of the plane that would take her to the town she knew so well, if only from Jess's stories, to go find the girl he loved and drag her with her to finally get things going with her best friend.

Yale, same time...

Blissfully unaware of what was awaiting her, Rory Gilmore packed an overnight bag to stay in Stars Hollow for the coming Christmas holidays. It was the first time since Thanksgiving she would be home, only the second time she would be home since she started college this fall. Sure, Yale was close enough to home, but Rory wanted to experience the whole Ivy League idea and the only way possible was to live on campus.

She liked it there, though she had to admit there was more than one reason. The other reason she didn't like to mention, it still tasted bad in her mouth. It was why she'd fled from her birthplace. Not to have to go to Luke's every day, not to look at the curtain that hid the staircase to the apartment where he used to live. Sometimes that curtain would move with the draft and she would always instinctively hold her breath. But he never sauntered into the diner anymore, giving her his trademark smirk. He would never be there anymore.

Rory wouldn't pine over him. She adamantly refused to pine. No way. She would bury herself in her college work and maybe, just maybe she would find herself a nice freshman to take her out. Maybe she would fall hopelessly in love again with him and marry him and live happily ever after. Right.

But she couldn't stay away from her home town and her mom forever and since it was almost the holidays, it was now or never.

Rory heaved her bag onto her shoulders and found her car in the crowded parking lot. For the first time in years, Rory was happy with a gift from her grandparents. Instead of buying her a car, they let her choose her own, so no flashy gadgets and no snobby vehicle. Her car was big enough to get her anywhere she chose to go.

Right now, her destination was Stars Hollow…

Nothing had changed since she was last here, a few weeks ago. Taylor was giving directions to Kirk and Babette, who were both struggling with the Christmas lights, while Luke tried to intervene before they decorated his diner as well. The grumpy look on his face disappeared the minute he recognized her car pulling up. Patiently he waited for her to get out. "Rory, nice to have you back. You staying the holidays?" "Yeah. I really have to catch up on the latest gossip. Is mom in the diner?" "Where else would she be?" Rory smiled. Of course Lorelai was in there. Her shift at the Inn being over, she would be inside with a precious cup of java. Which Rory ached for too.

Rubbing her hands against the cold, she entered the soothing surroundings of Luke's diner. "Mom!" Her mother looked around and practically jumped off her stool at the bar. "Offspring!" The women hugged before Rory sat down next to her mother. Miraculously, a cup of fresh brew was placed in front of her, making her look up in surprise to see…Luke. The little flame that had leaped up died out just as fast as realization again sank in. Luke gave her a rueful smile to acknowledge her sadness and confusion. Though he never spoke a word about his nephew and basically lived his life as if the boy had never been there, Rory could tell he missed Jess too. Almost as much as she did. Almost.

Lorelai rambled on and on about something that apparently had something to do with Michel scaring off some elderly couple, but she couldn't really concentrate. After not getting an answer for some time, Lorelai caught on. "Rory, are you okay? You look pale." "I'm fine mom, really. It's just the cold, I guess." Her mother didn't answer. Lorelai wasn't crazy. She could still read her daughter like an open book and right now she read the word 'pining' all over her morose little face.

Heartbreak was not unfamiliar to the older Gilmore. She knew all too well how long it would take to get back on track. And she also knew that there was no way she could help her child get through this. If she could, she would have done so months ago. Sigh. That's what love can do.

Both women finished their coffee in complete silence.


	3. Meeting the Gilmores

**Author's note:**

Wow! I got reviews! Positive ones. From authors I regard as the best! This is all so incredible. Thank you all for reading and I hope you will continue to support this story.

I will try to include more dialogue, but it's not my best quality.

Now...on with it...wait...diclaimer: Still don't own anything. Now...on with it...

Quaint. Small. Scary. Kat Mendosa let her new surroundings sink in and couldn't help but agree wholeheartedly with Jess. If she were shipped out to a place like this, she would run. Fast. But she was still a woman on a mission, so for now she had to deal with the lingering stares of the townspeople upon spotting someone unknown. Specifically someone who didn't quite…fit in.

Kat lifted her heavy duffel bag onto her shoulder, wincing at its weight. Damn those sweaters. Groaning, she headed toward the direction of the Dragonfly Inn, a road sign telling her where to go.

It must be quite a new place, since she hadn't heard of it's existance from Jess. He had told her about pretty much everything else in town, which didn't take up that much time. She now silently thanked him for all his stories she had found so boring only days ago. But now it was an advantage. She had a map of the town printed out in her head thanks to his descriptions.

Within no time she found the Inn, where she got a room after a lot of bickering with a grumpy and unwilling man with an annoying French accent. Michel, she remembered. She smiled. Come to think of it, Jess did tell a lot of stories for someone who was supposed to hate the place.

The room was okay and after a quick shower and a change of clothes, Kat decided she might as well start her quest right there and then.

Walking toward the center of the town, she spotted Luke's diner. Another very detailed description from her friend. She peeked inside to see a man wearing a flannel shirt and a baseball cap. Luke.

Or Uncle Luke. Though Jess always chose words of disdain for the man, he spoke them in a tone that held a considerable amount of respect and even love for the only adult to ever take care of him.

Kat let her eyes wander some more and then her eyes found the purpose of her quest. The girl she saw in Jess's bookmark/picture sat at the counter with another woman who was probably her mother. Both of them were holding huge mugs. Coffee in them, no doubt. Funny how she already seemed to know these people. She even knew who the man in the corner must be. A guy named Kirk.

Kat, it's really time for you to get in. She had made no plans whatsoever to say to this girl, so she had to rely on her excellent persuasive manners. She just had to make the girl see her point.

Never before in her life had Kat been so glad that a place was almost deserted. As the bell above the door signaled her arrival, the entire diner looked up. As there were only three townspeople and Luke in there, she could deal with it. She knew that if she had arrived at lunch rush, she would have the entire population stare at her. Like she was some zombie. Ignoring their stares, she walked over to the counter and took her seat next to Rory and her mom. Luke came over and purposefully she asked for strong black coffee.

"Your biggest cup, please. I'm suffering cold turkey here."

Bingo! It had made Rory's head snap up. She got her attention now.

"You're lucky, you know. Luke here serves the best coffee in this hemisphere." Kat smiled. "Even bad coffee would do now. Anything better than plane coffee."

Rory turned fully to the girl next to her. She didn't know why, but this unknown girl intrigued her.

"So…you're a tourist?"

"Something like that."

Kat nodded her head in thanks to Luke, who had just put a steaming mug in front of her. Now he turned to argue with Lorelai over a refill. Gratefully (she didn't lie, she loved her java) Kat took a sip.

"You're right, this is very very good coffee. And I'm used to some of the best within my family."

"Making great coffee is an art."

Rory grinned while begging Luke for her own refill.

"Agreed, and this man over here deserves the Pulitzer prize for this java."

"Nuh-uh. Nobel prize."

"Right."

The girls smiled at each other.

Lorelai finished her cup and grabbed her handbag.

"I'm off to see Sookie at the Inn, sweets. Can you entertain yourself for a while?"

"Mom, just because I'm home for the holidays doesn't mean you have to change your plans. We'll catch up on movie night tonight, okay?"

"Great idea. I raised you well, dear mini-me."

"Thank you, coffee-queen."

"See you, heir to the coffee-throne." With that she left with what she hoped was a graceful glide.

Rory turned to face the girl next to her again. Kat raised her eyebrow.

"Your mom?"

"The one and only."

"She's…nice."

"You mean crazy, right?"

"Only in a nice way. By the way, I'm Kat. Kat Mendosa"

"Rory Gilmore."

"Good to meet you Rory."

Rory and Kat ended up spending the afternoon together, just talking, while Kat tried to come up with the perfect excuse to steer the conversation to Jess. She was afraid that if she tried, Rory would crawl into her shell and shut her out. So she had to be careful.

Luckily, Rory brought it on herself. When she was showing Kat her room, which was left intact apart from the books she took with her to Yale, Kat noticed the amount of books still left.

"So…I guess you read a lot, huh? All those books yours?"

She knew for a fact that Jess left lots of books in Rory's room and never asked them back.

"I guess. They were from Jess mostly."

"Jess?"

"Boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend."

"What happened?"

"He took off."

"What, just like that?"

"Just like that. Now he lives with his dad somewhere in California. I just don't know…he never talked to me."

Suddenly, Rory groaned in frustration. "Why am I telling you all this. I'm over him. I mean, I have to be over him, I can't…" Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Kat sat down next to her on the bed. "You liked him a lot, I gather." "I did. I…I think I…loved him. And he just left."

Kat pulled her new friend in a hug and momentarily cursed Jess for his insanity. How the fck could he have done this to her? Then she remembered her quest. And Rory admitting she still loved Jess was at least a start.

Should she tell her now? Or gain some more information? Like, would she even take Jess back if she had the chance? Was her love stronger than her anger and hurt? So…just ask her. "Maybe he didn't know how to tell you."

Rory nodded. "He was never much of a talker. I only know what Luke told me. Jess is his nephew."

"What did he tell you?"

"He told me Jess wasn't graduating high school. Deal was that Jess could live with Luke as long as he graduated, so when he didn't…but it just hurts that he didn't know how to tell me. I would have helped him. I loved him, he must have known!"

"Maybe he did. Do you…still love him?"

Rory nodded again, not capable of answering. "So if you would see him again…"

"Come on Kat! He lives on the other side of the country! I'll never see him again. I don't have an address or anything!"

Time to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. "Maybe I can help you…if you really want him back. Do you?"

"Of course I want him back. But how on earth can you help me?"

Kat heaved a sigh. Here goes nothing. "I kind of lied to you, Rory."

"How, you didn't tell me much about yourself yet."

"No, I didn't and I had a good reason. But I have to tell you something now. Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Promise me you won't get mad at me. Please just hear me out. If you want me to leave then, I will, okay?"

Rory promised with an eerie feeling in her stomach. Somehow she had the tiniest suspicion this conversation didn't accidentally got to the subject of Jess. But what did this girl have to do with it?

"Rory, I'm from California. I go to UCLA, where I got to be good friends with a guy in my classes. We hang out a lot, we talk sometimes and he's told me about the girl he loved and left behind. Now I'm here to find this girl and bring her back with me so he can finally stop wallowing over her and get on with his life. And I think you can guess who I'm talking about here."

Rory gasped for air. For a moment it seemed like the world had collapsed on top of her and she didn't like the feeling. This was a lot of information to digest. First, Jess was going to UCLA? He graduated high school after all and made it to college? Why didn't Luke know? Why hadn't he told her? Second, he…he wallowed? Like he still loved her? Did he? Third, was she supposed to just hop on a plane and go back with this girl she just met a couple of hours before? To go and see Jess?

Kat watched her intently and put a hand on the trembling girl's shoulder. "Just think about it for a while, okay? You don't have to decide anything yet. I just wanted you to know that he does still love you. The guy hasn't even so much as glanced at another girl since he started university. I mean, all he does is work his – may I say – very cute ass off just to get by for the month he has lost and when he doesn't study he either reads or pretends to read while staring at your picture. That says something doesn't it?"

"He still has a picture of me?"

"Maybe even more. Drives the girls crazy. He turns them down one by one. Very frustrating, might I add."

"He turned you down too?"

"Yup, can't blame a girl for trying, now can you? But he didn't want me either. I just guess I'm a sucker for romance, cause ever since I found out about his wallowing I decided to come here and play cupid. Just think about it. Please?"

"I will, it's just…it's so hard."

Kat gave her new friend a pat on the shoulder before she quietly left the room.

That's the third chapter. Pretty long, isn't it? Might make you want to review...I'm not stopping you!


	4. Deciding

**Author's note: **

Wow! People are still reading my story! People still like it.

Thanks to al of you who took time to review this story. Your encouragement makes me want to continue.

This will be the last update before my well-deserved (?) holiday, so I made it extra long for you to enjoy. Reviews welcome as usual!!!

**Disclaimer**: Nope...still own nothing.

When Kat had left, Rory put her head on her pillow and silently sobbed. When she had promised Jess over the phone that she wouldn't pine for him she hadn't been lying. At that moment, she had really believed she would simply learn to live without him. And she had. She was still alive and still without him. But that was all. Merely alive, merely existing. Going to classes, doing assignments, drinking her coffee and reading. The only pleasure she allowed herself was talking to her mom and Lane a few times in a week.

But somehow that didn't change the lack of lust for life in her. She simply missed the buzz Jess gave her life, she missed the fun and laughter they had shared, the bantering about books or movies. She missed those more than their frequent make-out sessions. And, worst of all, she regretted her missed chance at losing her virginity. It sounded trashy, but Rory knew she was ready to have sex. And now the only one she had ever wanted to share that experience with was gone.

She remembered vividly how her body had reacted at Kyle's party. The reason she had pushed Jess away had nothing to do with any lack of physical excitement. If it had been pure for that, she would have jumped him before he jumped her. She had pushed him away because she felt something was wrong; something he didn't want to tell her. Again. And she didn't want to have sex with someone who kept secrets from her. Again. But yes, she had wanted him, she knew sexual attraction even when the entire population of Stars Hollow was still convinced she wasn't even capable of thinking dirty thoughts, anything beyond the almost chaste kisses she had received from Dean.

So here she was, pining over him anyway. Wanting him still in every way possible. This morning he was in her head and heart as a fond yet painful memory. Now, with the arrival of Kat, he suddenly bounced back into her memory like an opportunity, a second chance. Was she a fool if she let it pass by? If she still did as she was expected to do? Just roam around her dorm until a new and decent student presented himself?

Suddenly, she sat straight up. Why did she have to think this over again and again? Why not be proactive, take a dare, take a plunge? Why not let everything and everyone be and just…run as fast as she could back into the arms of the one person she needed?

Maybe it was irrational, but Rory then and there stopped caring. With her overnight bag still unpacked, she was as ready to go as she would ever be. The only problem: how to tell her mom?

Only fifteen minutes after Lorelai had given Kat the key to her room, her daughter walked, or rather, ran in. "Mom, can you spare a minute?"

"For my young-un? Anytime."

"Can we talk somewhere, you know, in private?" Rory pointed to Michel, who didn't even try to pretend he was busy.

"Let's go to the kitchen. Sookie has just left and she made some yummy coffee just before." "Good, let's go."

Rory managed to stall the inevitable for a few more minutes, savoring her precious java. But when she found her mother looking at her intently, she snapped out of it. "Rory? Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

Okay, here goes nothing. "Mom, you remember Kat, right?"

"Girl about your age, staying here at the inn? I'm not senile yet, dear."

"You could fool me, but that's beside the point. Point is…she came here for a reason."

"Luke's coffee?"

"No, not really."

"Porcelain unicorn?"

"Nope."

"Well, then let's not make this into a guessing game. Why is she here?"

"To eh…talk to me."

"She doesn't even know you. Well, she does now, obviously, so what subject could you girls have in common?"

"Jess." Rory murmured his name quickly under her breath, but her mother heard it anyway.

"Jess?"

"That's what I said."

"Jess? Luke's nephew Jess? Rebel without a clue Jess? Gnome-stealing Jess? Prankster Jess? Leaving without telling his girlfriend Jess?"

"Yes, that Jess. How many of them do you know?"

Lorelai groaned. "Just that one, believe me, that's plenty."

"Mom, could you please skip the rant, or just postpone it till I'm done talking?"

"But after I can rant?"

"As much as you think is needed."

Sigh. "Alright, have it your way. No ranting until after the talk. But I want to know everything, okay?"

Rory nodded and hesitantly told her mother everything Kat had told her. About Jess's graduation and him attending UCLA, about his pining over her, and the worst (for her mom anyway), her need to go to California to see him. To face him and maybe to save what was left of their relationship.

Lorelai was dumbfounded. By the time Rory finished her plea, she had tears in her eyes. Motherly feelings and a deep understanding of the way love worked fought for control. Lorelai the mother did not want to loose her child to some boy she still didn't trust. But also had to acknowledge that she could not forbid her now grownup daughter to go. And that not trusting her, not standing by her whatever her decision would turn out to be would certainly mean losing her. Lorelai the best friend wanted Rory to be happy and was almost bouncing off the walls herself. Love was a strong thing. Whatever the outcome, love was always worth the amount of effort put into it. Her own experience had told her as much. And though it hadn't worked out for herself in the past, it had given her a precious gift anyway. Her only child. And now that only child was ready and willing to fight for her own love. So there was no stopping her anyhow.

Rory looked intently at her mother as she saw all emotions swipe across her face. There was anger, confusion and hurt, almost immediately being replaced by understanding and love. And determination as Lorelai suddenly jumped off her stool.

"Let's go."

"Go where?"

"Go get Kat and let's go to Luke's. I'm not letting you go without hearing more and without making a plan. The best place is where they serve the best coffee!"

Rory stood nailed to the floor for a moment before realization sunk in. Her mom would not throw a rant, would not stick her head into the oven and turn on the gas, her mom…her mom would let her go. She hugged the older Gilmore tightly.

"I love you mom."

"Same here."

"Thanks for understanding."

Lorelai shrugged. "I do understand. I've been there. And I'll die first before becoming Emily Gilmore on you. Just…just be careful, okay? Don't let him break your heart again."

Kat was delighted when she was asked to join the two Gilmores at Luke's. She knew she had just won a very big part of her quest. Now she and Rory could carefully plan out the next step.

Meanwhile, UCLA...

While Kat and Rory were discussing their plans, on the other side of the States, Jess was still completely oblivious. Right now, he found himself at a party he didn't want to be at and probably wasn't even invited to. He just tagged along with Jared, a guy he remotely knew from advanced literature class, who had invited him to crash a party with some other guys he didn't know or wanted to know.

Cradling a beer he took in his surroundings. It had been a long time since he had been in a place like this. Crashing parties had never been such a big deal back in New York, but right now it was like he was losing his touch. Back in New York, in a time before he was sent away to the place he tried to forget, he would have found himself a girl to amuse himself with for the duration of the night. Here, the girls were sexy and available, but he wasn't. Maybe he wasn't wasted enough yet, but even drinking had lost its appeal. This beer was only his second and it took a lot more than that for Jess Mariano to even feel the buzz of being drunk. Tonight, he didn't want to feel that buzz. Tonight, he knew he was trying too hard.

It had been a bad day. Filled with dreams and thoughts he couldn't escape from. Her eyes, her hair, even her scent seemed to surround him. Without Kat being there to cheer him up or to talk to, he had gladly accepted Jared's invitation. Just an attempt to forget. A mistake, he knew now. He should have known that even getting loaded, or even getting lucky with any or all available girls would only make him forget for a while. Just to haunt him later. Might as well leave the detour then and wallow now. It would spare him a hangover as a bonus.

He had asked himself several times how he would react if he would ever see her again. Not that he ever wood. But just if…what would he do? The answer to that was easy. He would hold her tiny beautiful body close to his and promise her heaven on earth if she would stay with him forever. And he would die if she would turn him down, which, if she was smart, she would do. And yes, Rory was smart. Didn't she tell him herself she wouldn't pine over him?

What would she be doing right now? Did she have a boyfriend? Was she happy? He certainly hoped so. Wait…no he didn't. He certainly didn't. The happy part he could live with. Of course he wanted the girl he loved to be happy. But the boyfriend part, no way! He was honest enough to admit to himself he would never be quite ready to think about the possibility of her moving on. Cause, in all honesty, if he couldn't, why would he want her to?

Jess finished his now disgusting stale beer and made a mad dash for the front door. He made a big mistake in coming here tonight.


	5. Manipulating is an art

**Author's note:**

Hello all! I'm back from my vacation and ready to update again on a more regular basis. I thank all of you for your patience. It will be rewarded.

Reviews will be appreciated!

**Disclaimer**: Still own nothing and nobody ecxept Kat.

On with it...

Back in Stars Hollow Rory and Kat were stuffing some more of Rory's clothes into her bag. On top of the full bag she carefully put the most important piece of clothing. All part of Kat's plan. They had decided that just to confront Jess with her presence could turn out ugly. He needed to be surprised, or rather, compromised in a way that made it impossible for him not to spend time with Rory. And the plan her new friend had worked out might just do the trick. Providing Jess remembered he owed Kat a huge favor. Well, he didn't, but he would give in anyway. Kat could be a manipulative bitch if she chose to be.

Lorelai had shown her approval by calling the Hartford airport to get her daughter a ticket and by giving her only child some pocket money and the aforementioned piece of clothing.

Their flight would leave early evening, which, considering the time difference, would get them there the same early evening. Luke would come over later to take them to the airport.

After discussing Jess's comeback to Stars Hollow at the diner, they had decided to include Luke into their plan, seeing as how he still was Jess's uncle. If the boy could be persuaded to come home, he needed a home to come back to. Luke had just grunted his approval after he learned about the progress his nephew had already made at the west coast. He didn't show it, but Rory could tell he was as happy as she was. And that he didn't mind at all having the delinquent back in town. If only, or so he stated, to spike Taylor.

A knock at the door indicated the diner man had arrived. Lorelai opened the door and yelled for Rory to hurry up. She and Kat dragged her heavy bag out the door to put it in Luke's trunk. Rory ran back inside to hug Lorelai goodbye. If everything went well, she (or they) would be back before Christmas eve.

"Bye mom. And thank you so much for understanding."

"You're welcome. And good luck, honey. Bring the little criminal home."

Rory reluctantly let go of her mom and got into Luke's truck. They had to make a little detour to pick up Kat's stuff at the inn, but half an hour later, they were finally on their way to the airport. On their way to see Jess.

It took Kat some convincing before Rory dared to step on board. A sudden rush of panic had temporarily frozen her body, but after gentle coaxing and a firm grasp of her wrist, Kat managed to get her in the right plane. Now, high up in the sky on their way, she relaxed a little. This plan would work, it had to.

The California air was still warm, even though it was mid December already. Kat gratefully wriggled herself out of her thick sweater to reveal a Metallica t-shirt Rory remembered all too well. Kat saw the way she looked and shrugged.

"Not his, Rory. I know he has the same one. I told him I liked it and he found the same one for me as a birthday present. I don't wear your boyfriend's clothes."

"He's not my boyfriend."

Kat shrugged again. "Not yet. Just not yet."

She grinned at Rory. "Come on, my car is at the parking lot here somewhere.

At long last they found Kat's car and started driving.

"I'll take you to your hotel first and then I have to get back to campus. To prepare Jess for plan A of getting you guys back together. I'll call you on your mobile phone later."

Rory just nodded, still a bit sleepy from the flight and nervous about their plan.

The hotel was nice enough, though not exactly the Ritz. But her room had a spacious bathroom and a balcony to overlook the sea. Rory was happy enough. She said goodbye to Kat and gratefully stepped into a hot shower before ordering junk food from room service. After that, she zapped around the cable tv until she fell asleep.

Back on campus, Kat haphazardly parked her car, dropped off her stuff at her dorm room and got over to Jess's room. He opened after two knocks, wearing nothing but his boxers, his wet hair indicating he just got out of the shower. For a split second Kat wanted to forget about Rory in her hotel room and nail the guy then and there.

Jess just grinned. "Coming in, Kat?"

She stepped in. "Just cover yourself, have you no decency?"

He shrugged. "Never knew I needed it around you."

While putting on his shirt, he asked her about her family emergency. "You okay?"

"Thanks for your concern, Mariano, but the guy wasn't even real family, so the funeral wasn't that bad. I did however meet an old friend of mine and I brought her back with me for a small vacation."

Jess shrugged again and rooted underneath his bed for his pants. Once he found them, he turned back to their conversation.

"Nice."

"She is."

Silence. "Jess?"

"What?"

"Can you do me a huge favor? You still owe me for the time I lied for you to Professor Andrews."

"Depends."

"Well, this friend is only out here for a while, and I really want to show her a good time here, and so now there's this Christmas dance here on campus…"

"Kat, stop it. No."

"What, you don't even know what I want to ask!"

"I can guess, and the answer is still no."

"She's really nice!"

"I bet she is. But, no."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because, I don't want to! I don't feel like dressing up, pretending to be a nice guy, just to have yet another chick running after me. I don't want it, I don't need it."

Kat got really mad now. "You know what, Mariano? I don't need you to anymore. Hell, there must be plenty guys out there who don't even have to pretend they're nice! I just thought you were my friend, or were you pretending that as well?"

"Of course I wasn't. But you're…you're Kat. I don't have to pretend around you. I feel comfortable around you."

"Then you know you can trust me, right?"

"I guess."

"Then trust me when I tell you that you won't feel sorry for doing this. She really is a nice girl and I'm not asking you to sleep with her after all. Just…just one date okay? Just this dance and I promise I'll make it up to you. You'll thank me later."

Kat smiled. Seeing Jess standing there she could tell he had already given in.

"Fine. Just this once. One date. No more. If only to get you off my back."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, you won't regret this! Let me just call her."

Kat hugged him quickly and grabbed her cell phone to call Rory. She gasped when she realized that calling her in Jess's room and accidentally mention her name in his presence wasn't such a great idea.

The ringing of her phone distracted Rory from her fond dream. Silently cursing she rummaged in her bag until she found the beeping noisy intruder also known as her phone. Her mood changed when she saw the caller id on the small screen. Hopefully Kat had some good news.

"Hi."

"Hi Rory…don't worry, I'm outside his dorm room where he can't hear me. But to cut to the chase; he has agreed to take you to the dance."

Kat grinned as she heard her friend let go of the breath she was holding all this time.

"What did you tell him, you know, just in case…"

"I told him you were an old friend and that I ran into you after the funeral, which was my excuse to seek you out in the first place. So I told him you were here for a small vacation and I asked him to be a nice guy and take you out."

Rory chuckled. "What kinds of medieval torture did you apply to my poor guy before he gave in?"

Now Kat smiled. "He wasn't too eager. But he owed me a favor and a Mendosa never forgets to collect."

"I see…Kat?"

"I know you're nervous, Rory. Just put on that fabulous dress and go for the kill. Poor guy won't know what hit him."

"Thanks, Kat. For everything. If I can ever pay you back…"

"I'll take your firstborn."

"Haha. Not even remotely funny. Well, I guess I'll see you just before the dance."

"Day after tomorrow. See you!"

Kat hung up and went straight back to Jess's room. "She's delighted to meet you, Mariano."

"Just my luck, huh?" He murmured.

"Now, I still have some things to do, so if you don't mind…" He quickly ushered his friend out. Kat just flashed him a grin and happily stalked off to her own quarters.

**Author's note:**

That's all for now. Wanna know abou the dance? I'll make you a deal: you review...I'll update.

See you next time!


	6. Gilmore meets Mariano

**Author's note: **See? I always keep my promisses. You reviewed (all positive reviews, I'm sooo flattered), so I update. Thank to my most loyal critics (you know who you are) for your support.

So, because I'm in such a wonderful mood, and because you are so good to me, I created an extra, extra long chapter for you. Enjoy and keep the reviews coming!!!

**Disclaimer**: Own Kat. Nothing else.

_Two days later…_

"Abracadabra, turn this ordinary girl into the princess of Jess Mariano's dreams…"

Kat exclaimed with a serious hint of drama, while gingerly taking the dress out of Rory's hotel room closet.

"Drop it, Kat. I'm not freaking Cinderella and you don't even resemble something close to a fairy godmother."

"Oops. That reminds me! I forgot your pumpkin!"

"Again, drop it! Now help me get into this damn thing!"

"Moody, my friend?"

"Not moody, just nervous. Scared. Petrified."

"No need, relax, get dressed, I'll help you fix your hair. We still have over an hour to get you looking stunning."

Somehow that didn't help Rory much. She really needed the physical help. The zipper of her dress wouldn't move, her sandals were M.I.A., her hair decided to plot against her in hopeless knots and she felt like she had a huge fever. To say she was nervous was a little understatement. As much of an understatement as saying the previous was just merely a LITTLE understatement.

When Kat saw her biting her lips to prevent herself from screaming, she quickly zipped up the dress and dragged the other girl over to the vanity in the corner.

"Sit."

Limply, Rory did as she was commanded. Sitting was good. She could do that. Expertly and without showing mercy, Kat started to work on her hair and make-up. And she loved to slowly see Rory's expression change from horror to pleasantly surprised. With her hair all done up (a loose curly knot with a few strands of curls escaping) and her make-up applied, she knew she looked wonderful. For him. She would meet him in about twenty-five minutes. The butterflies in her stomach were starting to jig.

So when Kat at long last located her sandals underneath the bed, she was as ready to go as she would ever be.

Twenty-five minutes are fifteen-hundred seconds. So when each second seems to take a minute that's a lot of time to fidget and worry and ramble. Kat felt she had missed out on her true calling while trying to comfort and entertain the girl who hadn't moved from the vanity since she was dragged over there.

When a distinctive knock on the door announced the arrival of prince charming, Kat let go of some air. She steadied Rory, who resembled the ghost of Christmas past by now and stood up to get the door. She slipped through and blocked Jess's entrance. Damn, the guy looked hot in a tux! She smiled when she saw he was holding a single red rose.

"Nice touch."

"You wanted me to be nice. I thought this was nice."

"It is."

Jess moved a step closer to the door, trying to peer in. Kat blocked him again, knowing Rory needed to regain some composure.

"Kat?"

"She's shy, give her a few more minutes, okay?"

She left while closing the door behind her.

"I have to go. My own date will be wondering where I've been."

"Date?"

"The punch bowl. Has a nice personality once you get to know him, trust me."

"Don't drink it all, this time, would you Mendosa?"

"I promise. Now, just wait a few more minutes before you get in okay?"

"Whatever, but if she's having some kind of nervous breakdown in there, then I'm out of here in a flash, okay?"

"Sure." Kat made her grand escape before she would talk too much.

Inside the room, Rory took some deep breaths while checking her reflection for the zillionth time. She looked good. For Jess. Who was right outside that door. Hopefully. Not. Yes. Stop! Just turn around, face him and see what happens…

Jess seemed to believe he waited long enough. Politely he knocked on her door. Rory froze, then found her voice back.

"Come in, please."

Was that her voice? It had to be, there wasn't anyone else in the room. Rory regained control over her nerve system and turned to face the door, which was now slowly opening.

He was sure he was losing it. The voice, though a little quivering, sounded familiar. It sent jolts of electricity through his veins. But of course it couldn't be. He was just nervous. It would after all be his first date since moving here. The first time he would talk to and dance with a girl since he left…left Rory. Sighing, he decided it was time to get in that room and just see. He grinned. With his luck, she was probably downright hideous.

He had been prepared for that. The hideous part. He had been prepared to see a wallflower, a nervous wreck, even an exotic beauty, he had been prepared for anything. Anything except…Jess Mariano froze. He knew he wasn't dreaming, he knew he hadn't eaten or drunk anything that could make him hallucinate. It simply was her.

Rory heard him gasp in surprise and urged her unwilling eyes to look up to face him. When she did, it was her turn to gasp. Jess looked simply amazing. The Californian sun had tanned the Italian olive skin, his dark eyes were still brooding and despite his slightly hunched stance he somehow seemed…taller.

Neither of them spoke as the former friends and almost lovers eyed each other out. Rory felt naked underneath his steady gaze, while Jess tried to maintain some dignity. It was hard on him. Her eyes were even more bright than he had remembered them, though he had remembered every detail about her. Now he felt vulnerable and confused beyond his own grasp. How did she get here? What was happening? He knew, in the back of his mind he had worked out the plot between Rory and Kat. Slowly it sank in and started to make sense. Kat's hasty retreat to the east coast, her bringing back a friend, her relentless bantering about him taking this girl out. She had tricked him and now…

Should he make a run for it? Should he keep a poker face and tell her it was over? Did he want to? The answer to that was simple enough; in fact it was the only answer he was sure of. He didn't.

Didn't want to run, didn't want to see her go. He wanted her; had always wanted her. The only urge that he needed to control was the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her until they lacked air. The only question refraining him from doing exactly this was her reason for being here.

The question contained only one word, it came out more harshly than expected: "Why?"

Rory heard the question, she also heard the way he uttered it. His voice sounded strained, sad and tired. Like he had fought and just found out it was all in vain. He wanted to know why she had come. To haunt him. Rory's heart sank a little. It surely didn't sound like he wanted her there. Maybe Kat was horrendously mistaken. Maybe Jess didn't want to have anything to do with her. Maybe he was just waiting for her to leave.

Jess uttered the question again, but now the word sounded somehow differently. It was perhaps wishful thinking of her part, but she most definitely thought she heard…hope in his voice. She sighed, bracing herself for the impact if she was wrong.

"Why?"

"That's what I asked. Why? Why are you here?"

"I needed to…needed to see you. You simply…" By now her voice broke and she sank down on the bed. "You simply left me, Jess. It hurt, believe me. But I couldn't keep myself from wondering about you. What you were doing, if you were happy, if you…if you had already forgotten about me, about us, what we had. What it meant to you."

She heaved a much needed sigh and continued her rambling:

"There was only one way to find out and that was to see you again. But I didn't have a recent address and when Luke called Jimmy he was told you had left. Jimmy didn't have a recent address either. I had no way to get in touch with you. So when Kat showed up out of nowhere, I took my chances. I'm not sorry for that, if that's your second question, and I'm not leaving without an answer to my question. Which happens to be the same as yours. Why? Why did you leave me like that?"

Somehow, with tears streaming down her face, her eyes starry, Rory looked even more beautiful and it took him every ounce of self restraint not to scoop her up in his arms and love her like he was supposed to. Instead, he drew a heavy breath to prepare himself for his confession, the one he had always secretly hoped he would never have to give. But he had to. She deserved to know. Even if it hurt him to tell her.

"I'll tell you, but I'm not sure you'll understand. It's really complicated. Just promise me you won't interrupt. And if you want me to leave after I told you, I'll understand, okay?"

Rory just nodded. Her throat was too sore to produce any coherent sound. Jess gingerly sat down next to her. She didn't move and silently he was grateful for that. He scraped his throat and started talking.

"A few days before I left, I found out I wouldn't graduate. Which meant I couldn't take you to the prom, and that I betrayed Luke's trust in me. After all he'd done for me, after all you'd done for me, I couldn't even do the one decent thing that was asked from me. I couldn't even graduate, as I had promised. So I guessed Luke would throw me out, which was his prerogative I suppose and I guessed you would be so disappointed in me."

She was about to say something, but shut her mouth when Jess put a finger against her lips. She surpressed the chills his simple gesture sent through her body.

"I know you well enough to know that you would never tell me, you would always help me and support me, even when I don't deserve it. But Rory, you can't hide your thoughts and feelings for me, you never could. And to look into your eyes and see your disappointment, I…I took the coward's way out. I just didn't know how to face you. Maybe me and Jimmy are more alike than I thought, because running surely seemed the safest option. I'm sorry if I hurt you, believe me I am, but I really think I would have hurt you more in the end if I stuck around."

Rory had heard it all, but just couldn't grasp it, couldn't believe what he had just said. Was that it? The entire story, still based on the you're-too-good-for-me theory, the one she thought had been dead and buried next to the mommy-knows-best theory of Lorelai? How thick was this boy anyway? She would have gladly laughed out loud if it hadn't been this sad.

He was wrong. About everything. Yes, she would have been mad and disappointed in him, but that's because she knew how well he could do if only he tried. And, by the looks if it, he did. But why did he have to make his great escape to the west coast before being able to get himself to do the work? And who was he working for anyway?

Before she could ask him, somehow she knew the answer. Even though he was miles away, he was making amends. With her, with Luke, but most of all, with himself. If she'd been there, he wouldn't have gotten this far. She wasn't insulted by that sudden realization. She was merely proud. He'd grown up. He was worthy of anything and anyone he wanted. He was worthy of her. If he still wanted her. Did he?

Jess interpreted her silence the wrong way and stood up to leave.

"I think I'd better go. Since…there's nothing left to say."

It took him all the courage he had left to walk over to the door. When he grabbed the doorknob he made a mistake; he turned to face the tearstained girl on the bed. And he saw, really saw. It killed him.

Here she was. His angel, all dressed up like Cinderella, so beautiful it almost hurt to see. She'd come all this way, all these many miles to see him. And not just to ask why. She'd forgiven him. She wanted him, wanted him to need her. Which he did. More now than ever. He had worked his ass of for it. To deserve her. To become an equal. Even though it was the first time he ever admitted it to himself.

What happened next took only seconds in real time, it took many minutes in their universe. His hand let go of the doorknob, his body turned, his legs moved. He extended his hand to her. Slowly, she lifted her own hand to gently put it in his. He shivered underneath her familiar touch, not realizing exactly how much he had missed it until now. She stood up to face him, a slow smile of comprehension gracing her beautiful features.

It was her turn to shiver when his thumb grazed her cheek and then slowly traced her lips. A moan escaped her throat, the first noise coming out of her since her rambling. Jess smirked, a first for him too in what seemed like months. His hand moved to the back of her neck and ever so gently he pulled her closer.

When finally their lips met, it was almost too overwhelming. Her knees buckled; she had to sit down. Willingly, Jess let her drag him to the bed. He too was drowning in his emotions.

After some heavy kissing that lasted minutes at the time, they reluctantly let go. Jess was a bit unsure of what to do next, but when Rory put her head against his shoulder, he felt relief wash over him. She didn't run, didn't stammer or rant, didn't say this was a mistake. She seemed calm, collected and according to the blush on her face, happy. As he was.

At that moment, Rory lifted her head and kissed him gently on his cheek. Her question was simple and difficult at the same time.

"What now?"

Jess grinned. "Dance?"

"I meant after the dance, after tonight, after…"

"I know what you mean, Rory. And I'm not quite sure. Only an hour ago I was cursing Kat for setting me up like this and now…I'm not sure of anything except that I'm not about to let go of you again. I really missed you, I never expected to see you again."

"Neither did I, but I'm not sorry I came over here."

"You shouldn't be." Jess kissed her swollen lips lightly.

The silence that followed was kind of comforting and both of them came to the realization that they didn't have to decide anything just now. For now, being together was enough. Jess reached for Rory's hand and stood up from the bed.

"Let's go to this dance, shall we?"

"You still wanna go?"

"I do now, I have to show you off, don't I?"

"Lead the way."

_Long, long chapter. I'm proud of myself? Are you? Let me know..._


	7. Dancing and Decisions

**Author's note**: I'm back!!! Another chapter's here for you to enjoy.

Another thank to all who take time to review. I never expected to be so pleased by your reactions.

**Disclaimer**: Still own nothing but Kat.

For a moment, it almost seemed like a bad teenage movie when Rory and Jess entered the dance hall, hands entwined, smiles on their faces. You could almost hear the disappointed sighs of the girls and their speculations about the identity of the girl at Jess Mariano's arm.

Kat just smiled when she caught Jess's eye. He winked at her and his mouth silently formed the words 'thank you'. It was all Kat needed to know; the first phase of her plan had worked out. Now all she had to do was watch and enjoy the jealousy in the room before she convinced her friend to return to the east coast, to his home, where his girl lived.

The dance was quite enjoyable. With his girl in his arms, Jess almost became a romantic. He held her tightly, her perfume making him lightheaded. Rory had her head on his shoulder, slowly swaying to the music without really hearing it. Her mind was reeling by now. She loved being in his arms again, loved the way he held her, the way he smelled. She knew they had a lot to talk about. Especially about the subject of him moving back. Back to where he belonged. Luckily she had Kat by her side, who promised to bug Jess about it as well, but the question that kept lingering in her mind was 'does he even want to'? as great as being here with him was, Rory needed more from him, some kind of reassurance.

"Penny for your thoughts."

His voice was tender, with the slightest hint of concern.

"You sure you wanna spend so much on me? I'm flattered."

She grinned.

"Hey, I'm just a poor young student, it's all I can afford."

"So that means you're willing to spend your whole fortune for my thoughts?"

Now Jess grinned too. "If I had a fortune, it would be yours if only I could read your beautiful mind."

"How do you know if my mind is beautiful?"

"You're beautiful."

"Thank you very much, but one doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the other."

"Now you're avoiding the subject."

Jess took her hand and dragged her over to one of the benches surrounding the dance hall. He looked serious.

"Rory, what were you thinking?"

"How happy I am being here with you."

"I'm happy too, but that's not all, is it?"

Sigh…"No. it's not. I just…I know we agreed not to talk about it yet, but…Jess…I need you back. And not just for now. I need…"

"You need reassurance. You need to know I won't run out on you again."

Rory looked at him intently. The last thing she wanted to do was push Jess, knowing very well it usually backfired. But strangely enough he didn't look like he wanted to run away from her or her questioning. Instead he sat down and patted the space next to him. When she sat, he took her hand in his.

"Rory, I won't. I don't want to run anymore. I fought hard for what I have now and I made myself believe I did it for me. But in fact I did it for you. Even though I realized you would probably never know, I wanted you to be proud of me, wanted to become more of an equal. Someone whom you can share your dream with instead of someone standing in your way."

"You were never in my way."

"I believed I was, though. I'm so very glad you came to see me when you did."

"I am proud of you, Jess. You've come a long way. And I still care a lot about you."

"I care too. You know that." He kissed her soft lips.

"So…what are we gonna do?" Again, she knew she was pushing thing, but she couldn't help herself really.

"Rory…"

"You don't have to decide today, okay. Let's just dance some more and enjoy this evening and then we'll see."

Jess now grinned. He didn't need time to decide. In fact, he had already decided he needed to go back the minute he had recognized Rory when he entered her hotel room. Even if it hadn't been her, even if his eyes had been playing tricks on him, he would have come to the same conclusion. He had proven his point by going to college, he missed her and there was nothing holding him back here. Not Jimmy anyway. So it was time to go home.

"We'll go back to the dance in a minute. First of all I need to know how long you'll be here for."

"Just a few more days I guess, why?"

"It'll take some time to get my things together, you know, transfer college and stuff…"

He let his words sink in and smiled a true smile when he saw the understanding dawn on her face.

"Jess, does that mean you…"

"…and I are taking the same plane back to home, where we belong."

Rory shrieked and almost knocked him down by her embrace. Jess just smiled and took his girl in his arms.

That night, after taking a slightly tipsy Kat back to her dorm room, they stumbled into Rory's hotel room, firmly attached at the lips. Now that the decision was made, they had spent their entire evening slowly swaying in each others arms, regardless what music was playing at the moment. It had been so heartbreakingly cute that Kat had renewed her vows to the punchbowl, for a moment hating her own part in bringing them back together.

Their evening wasn't over yet, though. Frankly, it was stupid. When you considered how many times she had planned it, fantasized about it, seriously considered it, fearing it but also looking forward to it, now that they both knew it was about to happen, all thoughts went straight out of the window, together with all doubts.

Jess was pleasantly surprised by her forwardness. He had hoped to spend the night with her, but hadn't suggested it because he didn't want to rush her into anything. But instead of her gently pushing him out, she pulled him with her on the bed. When he opened his mouth to ask her if she was sure, she put one finger over his lips to hush him, a gentle, subtle gesture that said all he needed to know.

She was more confident than he had thought she would be. Which wasn't the only error in his judgment. She was also more beautiful, more…everything. It was the closest to heaven Jess Mariano would ever get and he had never been more glad it was Rory that shared this experience with him.

Now they just rested, listening to their breaths calming down, neither one of them willing or able to disentangle themselves from the sheets and each other.

Jess absentmindedly played with a strand of Rory's hair. He slightly bent over her way to ask her if she was okay, but changed his mind when he saw the look on her face. He didn't have to ask. So instead he kissed her ever so softly and smiled when she hungrily replied.

"I love you."

It was just a soft whisper and the words were out before he could think about it. But he didn't regret them. He couldn't. For a moment Rory's face stayed blank while letting the true meaning grasp her. Then she smiled the most beautiful joyful smile Jess ever saw, tears glistening in her bright blue eyes.

"I love you."

Her answer came strong and confident as she pulled him closer. Their kiss was somehow different, it was like a promise. When they broke apart, Rory put her head on his chest and promptly fell in a deep sleep. Jess gathered the blankets around them in a protective cocoon before closing his own eyes for the best sleep he'd had in months.

The next morning was interrupted first by room-service (compliments of Kat) and later by a slightly groggy Kat herself. Without regard for the rather indecent state of her friends she barged in, dressed up like a maid, just to hear details. Details, please!

She got more than she bargained for. Even though Kat had known Jess would most likely get back with Rory (which had been her goal after all), she was slightly taken aback when he announced he would be moving back to the east coast with her even before the Christmas holidays.

Kat was honest enough to admit, at least to herself, that she hadn't lost all of her crush on Jess yet. So to lose him to Rory was one thing, to never see him again was a totally different story. Yet, she took it like her father had taught her. She hugged both Jess and Rory to congratulate them and left the room so they could get dressed more decently.

Outside, Kat heaved a sigh and got moving. This chapter was closed. She refused to cry. Katerina Mendosa never cried.

**Author's note: **That's it! More to come if you review! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease?????????


	8. College and going home

**Author's note: **Thanks again and again to all of you who took the time to review. Special thanks to those of you who review every chapter and still hang on. I'm not sure I'll make twenty chapters, but so far, so good.

Another thing: I've never been to the USA and I have no idea how the college system works there. So I have no idea if it's even possible to transfer colleges in the middle of school season and how the proces of applying goes. So if it's wrong...for the story's sake: just go with it! Thank you.

**Disclaimer**: Own nothing, except Kat. Oh, and Ginny. You'll meet her.

One with it...

That afternoon, Jess dropped Rory of at the beginning of Rodeo Drive, so she could go shopping. Which meant looking at shops, there was no way she could afford as much as a lipstick around here, but she insisted on seeing the famous street anyway.

He gave her a kiss and told her he would come and pick her up at the same spot in two hours. He figured that would give him enough time to handle a few things at school and give him some time to do his own Christmas shopping. Coming home with gifts seemed like a smart idea to him.

But first things first; he had an appointment. He parked his car at the UCLA parking lot and worked his way over to the school's guidance counselor. He had already met ms. McLean when he applied for college a month late. She had not been convinced he could make it, but had granted him a chance based on his grades and his SAT scores.

His knock was answered with a soft "Come in."

Jess smiled at the woman in front of him.

"Mr. Mariano. Have a seat. What can I do for you?"

"I need to transfer schools."

"I see. May I ask for a reason?"

"I'm moving back east with my girlfriend."

Ginny McLean could hardly suppress a smile. She'd heard about the mystery girlfriend through the grapevines. Did this boy know how many hearts were broken just yesterday? Probably not; and she was not about to tell him.

"And now you need to find a college that can take you in after the Christmas holidays."

"Basically, yes. You think that'll work?"

"No idea. But I'll try my hardest. What schools are you interested in?"

"Any school close to New Haven."

"So your friend is an Ivy League girl."

"Yeah. She's in her freshman year at Yale."

"Yale. Sounds a good place to start."

"Start what?" "Getting you into college."

"You mean…me…Yale?"

"With that vocabulary you won't stand a chance, but why not? Your grades are remarkable, you showed you're not afraid of hard work, your SAT scores are certainly not disappointing. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't at least get you an interview there."

Jess sighed. He hadn't counted on the possibility. He wasn't sure he was Ivy League material. But usually Ms. McLean had excellent judgment so if she said he could… what the hell, no guts no glory, right?

"Nope, can't think of any reason."

"Good, neither can I. So here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna make some phone calls, send some faxes, e-mails on your behalf to Yale, Hartford Community College, NYU and I'll let you know what has come up in lets say…an hour?"

Jess nodded. He was amazed at her straightforwardness. She sure was some help to him. He thanked her politely and told her he'd be back in an hour to hear the news.

Outside, he let go of his breath. Yale. Yale?

Jess spent the hour in between buying gifts. First just to calm his nerves, later because he started to enjoy buying presents for the people he cared about. And it did calm his nerves for a while. Not that he would ever admit he was. Nervous that is. Nothing to be nervous about, right? Of course not. He was only applying to Yale. Big deal. And there were so many options left. Really, nothing to be nervous about.

Still, when he knocked on the counselors door an hour later, his palms were sweaty. If Ms. McLean even noticed, she was too diplomatic to mention it. She kindly let him sit down again and took out some papers.

"Relax, Mr. Mariano. This is not a death penalty here. I even think I might have some good news."

"Good…how did it go?"

"Well, both NYU and Hartford Community are willing to let you in based on the faxes I sent them. All you have to do is give them a call when you want to register there. And as for Yale…"

She looked at him intently. He was fidgeting, trying to hide that fact by stuffing his hands between his legs. She decided not to tease him any longer.

"I got you an interview for December 19th at one-thirty. So that makes it next Friday. I assumed you would be east by then."

"I will be. But, could you tell me what to expect from this…interview?"

"I already faxed them your scores, literature list, major study, things like that. But usually Yale wants more of a personal motivation. Just be honest and open with them and you'll have no problem."

"You really think I can do it?"

"I wouldn't have called them if I didn't think that. And they would never have agreed to an interview if they weren't impressed by your progress so far."

"Then I guess I should give it a try."

"You should, Jess. You're a smart kid."

Jess grinned. Kid. To this woman, all students would always remain kids, her kids. He pushed away the urge to hug her and instead shook her hand gratefully.

"Thanks ever so much Ms. McLean. You're a great help."

"That's my job, Mr. Mariano. Good luck."

Jess grabbed his bags from the floor and turned to leave, when she called him back.

"Jess?"

"Yes?"

"Give me a call after the interview, will you? I'd like to know how you've done."

Jess gave her a genuine smile before he closed the door. "Will do. And thanks again."

Outside, he wanted to scream. One step closer to Yale. Yale?

About half an hour later he picked up a very exited Rory, who had actually bought some of her Christmas gifts at LA's most expensive shops.

"There goes my entire tuition for next year, but who cares? I just felt like doing some serious shopping. "

Jess smiled and kissed her, hoping she wouldn't notice anything wrong with him. She didn't, excited as she still was about her shopping spree. She broke herself free from his embrace and gave him a smile that made his knees wobbly.

"So…how did your school appointment go?"

Jess shrugged. "Okay, I guess. The counselor said she'd get me a few interviews with colleges close to you." "

You'll get in. You've come this far."

"Thanks for your faith in me."

He meant it. Rory's answer came quickly and truthfully.

"I always had faith in you, you just never noticed." Jess didn't know what to answer, so he just squeezed her hand tightly.

He didn't mention his interview at Yale to her, though he wasn't quite sure why. Hadn't she just said she had faith in him? But in the car on his way to pick her up, his old feelings resurfaced again, rearing its ugly tail. If he was totally honest, he knew very damn well why he hesitated telling her. He didn't want to disappoint her. Didn't want to make any promises he couldn't keep. Didn't want to get his own hopes or hers up too high, just to come crashing down again. It would mean another let down, and he had grown out of places to run to for cover every time one of his plans went down the drain. So he decided not to make her overly happy with half a promise. If he got into Yale, IF with very big capitals here, it would be time enough to tell her. When he actually deserved her faith in him.

They spent the rest of their evening with Kat, on her request. Yes, she had made her peace with the fact her one and only friend would be leaving soon, but she was damned if she didn't suck as much fun out of his last days here as she possibly could. Luckily, she really started to enjoy Rory's company as well, so she could set aside the lion share of her jealousy.

The three of them decided on a classical Gilmore movie night. Complete with high dosages of coffee and every kind of junk food known to mankind. Rory snuggled up close to Jess and was fast asleep by the time the movie was halfway through. Jess's features softened immediately as he watched her sleeping form against his chest.

"Wow."

Kat's voice was nothing more than a whisper, but Jess looked up with a warm smile still plastered on his face.

"Wow what?"

"You really do love her."

"Yeah. I really do."

"So I guess I never stood a chance in hell then."

"Sorry, but no. Not you, not anybody."

He kissed the top of Rory's head. She didn't even stir.

"She does that to you. I can't help it."

Kat smiled. "Don't apologize for being in love, Jess. I'm glad you're happy now."

"I am. And you'll be soon too. There has to be a guy out there for you somewhere…"

"Don't give me that, Mariano. Don't cheat me out of my precious sulking time here. I'll just wallow, eat lots of chocolate, watch lots of sappy movies until maybe one day your identical twin will come along."

"I'll tell him to drop by."

He gently let go of his girlfriend to give his best friend a hug.

"Stay in touch, Mariano, you hear me? Remember, the Mendosa clan can track you down anywhere."

"Is that a threat?"

"Nope. It's a promise. Now promise me the same."

"We'll stay in touch, Kat. I promise."

Next day was spent in a total packing frenzy. Jess was done in half an hour; never having brought too many stuff with him to campus. He still had to pick up some of his books and other stuff at Jimmy's, but basically, he was done. The majority of his stuff had never left Luke's apartment. Most of his books had never left Rory's old bedroom.

Packing Rory's suitcase was an entirely different challenge. She ended up having to borrow one of Kat's old suitcases to stuff all her belongings and newly bought assets into. Neither Jess nor Rory spoke much while they packed her stuff and waited for Kat to arrive. Kat had said she didn't want them to spend good money on public transportation or a taxi, so she would take them to the airport.

Seated in the backseat of her car on his way to the airport, Jess remained silent, while Rory and Kat were talking about… whatever they were talking about. He hadn't listened. He had been too preoccupied.

He was going home. Home to Stars Hollow. To a place he had never figured he would ever call home. And to a man he would never have called a father, but who was more of a father to him than his real father ever tried to be. He had missed Luke. Almost as much as he had missed Rory. And even though Jimmy really had tried and had made a real effort toward his stepdaughter Lily, he had never opened his heart and mind to his oldest son, who in return never opened his. There had been relative peace and quiet in the Jimmy Mariano household, but nothing more than that. Jess had settled for it for as long as it took him to get his GED. Then it was a real relief to him when he found out there was an open spot for him at the UCLA campus.

Since he had moved in there, he had occasionally called Jimmy to keep him updated. His biological father tried to sound interested, but Jess could interpret his tone of voice and knew he wasn't sincere. Or even listening. So he stopped calling. That was that.

But the result of this less than cold behavior was that he did miss the only father figure in his life more than he cared to admit. He missed Luke's guidance, his silent pride when Jess did something well, his gruff but solid presence in his life. He only hoped he could convince his uncle of that. Maybe, if he went to Yale, it would make a difference.

After a quick drive-by at Jimmy's, where he collected his last things, Kat took them to the airport, where they stalled their goodbyes until final boarding call. She made both Jess and Rory promise to stay in touch.

When the plane took off, Jess heaved a sigh and rested his head against the soft fabric of his chair. He wasn't too fond of flying as it was and traveling into an uncertain future made him even more nervous. Rory noticed his discomfort and smiled at him, while taking his restless hand in hers.

"You okay?"

"Just glad when we get there. Have some solid ground underneath my feet."

"Is that all you're nervous about?"

Jess gave her hand a small squeeze. "No. I'm nervous about everything. Seeing Luke again, your mom not to mention. Getting into another school, doing well there. Us."

"What do you mean? What about us?"

"I want to do it right this time Rory. I want to be a perfect boyfriend this time, I'm just afraid I'll do something to screw it all up again."

Rory was amazed by his honesty. The old Jess wouldn't have told her anything about his feelings. She would be led to believe he didn't have any to begin with. Now she obviously knew better. Now she knew that he indeed did have strong feelings. And exactly that was why she knew he wouldn't screw up at all.

"You will do it right, no, WE will do it right. I know we will. And you'll find a great school to go to, Luke will be glad to have you back, my mom even encouraged me to go see you…and I love you even more now than I ever did before you left. Everything is more than perfect, Jess. So there's no reason whatsoever for you to worry."

"I know that. I just…worry. It's like…suddenly there's so much at stake. There are actually people who have faith in me and I don't have enough faith in myself."

"You should. You should be proud of yourself. Look at what you've accomplished already. Please Jess don't start doubting yourself now."

Jess didn't answer. He didn't know how to. He just leaned over to give his girl a simple gentle kiss on her lips before smiling at her. It was a promise and Rory knew it. For her sake, for their sake, he would try anything.

**AN: **Long, long, very long chapter. A lot to review...


	9. Yale!

**Author's note: **Hello to all my great readers and reviewers! Here's yet another chapter for you to enjoy.

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked they weren't mine...

_Now...on with it!_

Hartford airport. Snow outside, as it should be around Christmas. It might sound stupid, but Jess had missed the winter season while he stayed in California. Somehow the idea of celebrating the holidays with lights hanging in palm trees and dressed in a t-shirt didn't fit his rather old fashioned picture. And of course, to him it had simply been one more indication he didn't belong on the west coast, no matter how hard he tried. Now, dragging his bag outside and inhaling the cold winter air, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Since they were back home (yes, it was what it was. Home.) a few days earlier than anticipated, they decided not to call Lorelai or Luke to come pick them up. They would just take the bus and surprise them. After he helped Rory with their luggage, they entered the bus and chose a seat in the back. The bus left the airport and Jess felt the knot in his stomach tighten. Just another hour and he would actually get off this vehicle and find himself in Stars Hollow. Voluntarily even. This was just weird. And great. He just hoped his return would not make things harder on anyone. For once in his life, he hadn't returned anywhere just to wreak havoc. He returned to make something of his life next to the girl (no, correction, the woman) he loved.

If he had been doubtful about seeing his uncle again, he was luckily proven wrong. The moment both teens were signaled getting off the bus, the usual Stars Hollow gossip chain made sure Luke and Lorelai were informed even before Rory and Jess had taken their luggage from the compartment. Rory dropped both her duffel bag and her borrowed suitcase unceremoniously on the sidewalk as she saw Lorelai come running toward her.

"Mini-me!"

"Mom!"

Both Gilmore girls hugged. Jess watched with an amused smile on his face. Luke approached them and for an instant Jess worried about his reaction. He'd probably never counted on seeing his nephew this soon again. But neither had he expected for his nephew to get his GED with honorable results and to attend college.

He needn't have worried. To his surprise Luke gave him a quick hug and a rather awkward smile.

"It's…eh…well…nice to have you back," poor Luke stuttered.

Jess, now fully smiling, picked up his bag and one of Rory's (who shot him a grateful look for that) and turned back to his uncle.

"It's nice to be back, Luke."

I can't believe I actually said that, about Stars Hollow of all places, he thought wryly. But then again, he was amazed at his own sincerity when he said it. Luke gave him a rather familiar smirk and guided the two teens upstairs to unload their heavy luggage.

All four of them soon settled down at the bar of the diner to catch up and make plans. It was kind of hard for Luke not to try and ask Jess directly about his plans. He looked at his son…eh…nephew (Where did that come from? Since when was he thinking about Jess as his son?) and couldn't decide what had changed but something had. Jess had changed entirely. Gone was the rebellious hoodlum boy, who hated the entire world around him. Gone were the smirks, the sarcastic answers. Instead, a young man with Jess's appearance sat at that bar, working his way through a plate of fries while talking almost… friendly (?) with Lorelai.

He glanced at Lorelai, who caught his eye and gave him a smile. Luke could tell she was just as surprised as he was. Or maybe even more.

Lorelai returned her attention back to Jess, who was telling her about the classes he had been taking at UCLA and wished to take at whatever college he would start at here. It was so hard for her to believe that this was the same boy who had hurt her daughter over and over again.

She guessed Rory had been right about him after all. He had changed, had proven himself capable of hard work and he showed ambition to do even better. Lorelai smiled. She could be happy for both him and her daughter now. This new kid, the new Jess, was a challenge to Rory. He could make her happy.

Looking back, it was a rather amusing night. The looks on the faces of Jess' former enemies was worth coming back for. Taylor, for once in his life completely speechless, Miss Patty, who hugged him fiercely just to try and pat his behind (which he dodged just in time), seeing the amused look on Rory's face which she couldn't hide quick enough. Kirk, who started a nervous rant and escaped as fast as he could. Lane, who yelled at him for leaving and hugged him right after that for coming back. It was just as weird as could be expected and Jess could just guess what (or who) would be the main topic in the next town meeting. For once he couldn't wait to attend.

But first, Friday the 19th came closer and closer, until Jess found himself fidgeting nervously outside Yale's headmaster's office. He had checked and double checked all the papers he thought he might need, he was wearing a new dress shirt and sleek black pants just for the occasion. Rory had thought he had bought those for the Christmas holidays and he happily let her believe that. She would know the truth if he got in. If not, he had new clothes for Christmas.

Yale was all about punctuality, as he found out just in time. At exactly 14.00 the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man with a stern look on his face.

"Mr. Mariano?"

Jess looked up, straightened his clothes and shook the man's hand. Gathering all his self-esteem, he lifted his head to look the man in his eyes. Which seemed to be a good idea, as a small smile appeared on the headmaster's face. Now he almost looked friendly.

Jess was taken into a spacious office, with comfortable leather chairs and a huge mahogany desk dominating. He smiled in himself. Somehow he had known what the place would look like even before he entered. It was just so typical. He was offered a chair and some coffee. Even though Jess wasn't really a coffee man, he didn't dare refuse.

After a few minutes of silence, in which both men seemed to be sizing each other up, the headmaster gently put his china cup on its saucer and pulled out a pair of reading glasses from his jacket pocket.

"Well, Mr. Mariano, we received all papers concerning your history and scores from your former university and I must say you did a good job. We've been told you started college a month late? Care to explain?"

Jess had a bit trouble hiding his annoyance. Why did important people always refer to themselves in a plural form? Or did the ghosts of headmasters past still float around? At least that would explain the sudden thickness in the air. Nonetheless, the question was something he had anticipated and he knew that being honest would be the best thing now.

"I had a bit of trouble graduating high school, Sir. I attended summer school and evening school to obtain my GED. That took me all of September."

"With your record and grades, Mr. Mariano, I find it hard to believe that your lack of knowledge was cause of your problems. And if that's not the cause, then what is?"

Again, Jess decided to be honest.

"Sir, I just never believed in succeeding high school, which I hardly attended, mostly out of sheer boredom. Until I came to the conclusion that, if I wanted to succeed later in life, if I wanted more than just some job somewhere, I had to work for it, get a degree, find out exactly what I am capable of."

"What made you come to that conclusion?"

Okay, being honest seemed to work, but to spill his entire life to this man was something Jess resented. This was where the man stepped onto holy ground. His soul, his savior was Rory and Jess knew the man wouldn't understand. Even he didn't truly understand yet. So it was time to retreat and speak in metaphors.

If the headmaster had even noticed Jess' inner turmoil and change of demeanor, he chose not to show it. He gave Jess all opportunity to formulate his answer. When it came, it was honest without revealing more than the boy wanted.

"I guess I had help, people who believe in me and want me to become the best man I can be. These people are worth taking chances for. They gave me back my self confidence."

The headmaster nodded, seemingly pleased with the answer. Jess gradually let go of the breath he was holding. Maybe he still had a chance here.

"Mr. Mariano, what do you aspire to be? In what ways do you think Yale could be of help to you?"

A little shaken at the question, Jess drew in another breath. God, he could use a cigarette right now. Or Rory. Her smile. Printing her image firmly in his head, he suddenly just knew.

"I want to win the Nobel prize for Literature."

"Excuse me? That is a rather bold statement, don't you agree? Do you think you can become the new Ernest Hemingway? "

"I don't think a can be the new Hemingway. I do not want to be the new Hemingway. I want to be the best Jess Mariano. The best he can be."

"So you aspire to be an author."

Jess smiled, he knew how to answer. There were a lot of kids out there who wanted to be a writer.

"No Sir, I aspire to be the best novelist of my generation."

"And you need Yale for that? You think you are entitled to a place at an Ivy League school so you can become a novelist?"

"No sir, I do not need Yale to become a novelist, if that's what I want to be. But as I said, I do not wish to be just some novelist. I want to be the best novelist. The talent is in me, the inspiration is right there with me, the drive, the motivation is in me. I need someone, a mentor, a teacher, within this institute or outside of it, I don't care, to challenge me, provoke me. Novels I can write on my own. Nobel-prize worthy novels can never be written without some…resistance. Without a fight for every page."

It was the longest monologue Jess Mariano had ever given and by the end of it he felt like a deflated balloon. No energy whatsoever left in him. And worse, it was quiet. It remained quiet. For a very long time. Then, the headmaster rummaged trough some papers on his desk and pulled out a plastic folder holding some documents. He held them in front of Jess.

"Very well, Mr. Mariano. You need to fill in these forms and hand them over at our registration desk, end of this hall on your right. It contains everything you need: names, dates, classes, application for a dorm room, etc. Any questions can be asked at said registration desk. Good luck Mr. Mariano, we'll see you after the holidays."

He stood up and Jess, stunned and dazed, automatically followed suit. At the sight of the young man's face, the headmaster's smile became wider.

"Welcome to Yale, Mr. Mariano. I think you'll do just fine here."

With a friendly nod and a handshake Jess was marched out. The thick wooden door closed firmly behind him.

Jess clutched the bundle of papers he was holding as if he was afraid they would vanish into thin air if he let go. He just got into Yale. Yale? No, no question mark here. Not anymore. Yale! YALE!

_Soooo...? Good enough to review?_


	10. Calling Kat

**Author's note: **Hi all! Sooooo soooo soooorrrry for not updating for quite some time, but some of your reviews got me thinking and now I'm rewriting a lot of pieces. But don't worry, it'll all be okay in the end!

Also, in a while I'll start a new continuing future Literati, called "A Stuntman's heart". Won't tell you anything yet, except that I hope you'll recieve it with as much enthousiasm as you did my other stories.

**Disclaimer**: Do I really have to keep repeating myself? I do not own them!

Now, here's the next chapter! Especially for those of you who miss Kat!

He had no idea how he had gotten home after that. After he had delivered all the paperwork at the registration desk, he took a walk on campus just to acquaint himself to his new surroundings. He liked what he saw, he truly had to admit. He found out where Rory's dorm room was located. A shame he didn't steal her keys to take a peek inside. Well, he would see it later, he assumed, plenty of times probably. He also did the entire detour thingy through New Haven, which was every bit as boring as people claimed it was.

Soon enough he was driving his way home, registration papers in his bag, in a neat envelope with the Yale logo printed on it. For the first time he felt his nervousness slip away. Instead, he felt…proud. He did something to be proud of. He didn't let Luke down, didn't let Rory down, didn't let himself down. With a huge smile on his face he entered the diner, about to tell Luke his great news. But just before he wanted to barge into the kitchen, he held back. He had an idea. This was not something he wanted to tell in the middle of a crowded diner, even though the look of disbelieve on the residents' faces would surely be priceless. No, he needed to tell Luke, Rory and Lorelai in private. It meant he would have to wait a couple of more days. Until Christmas eve. It was the perfect moment.

So he didn't tell Luke, wiped the smile off his face and spent the rest of the day wiping down tables and taking orders, for once glad it was busy. When he felt like he would burst if he didn't tell anyone, he remembered he could. He yelled to Luke he would go upstairs and grabbed the phone and his notebook. The first phone number he called was Ms. McLean's office. It was probably too late in the evening for her to still be in her office, but he would leave her a message on her voice-mail.

That done, he dialed the next number on his list. After a few rings, Jimmy Mariano picked up the phone. Jess told him the news of his transfer to an Ivy League school in a matter-of-fact way and Jimmy reacted accordingly. Both knew that all they had to do was put in just a little more effort, but both were also sick and tired of trying. After wishing each other happy holidays, Jess was glad when he heard the dial tone. At least telling his family here the great news would be worthwhile.

His third phone call held just a little more promises. It could be fun.

She picked up after three rings, sounding cheerful.

"Happy holidays to anyone who's calling!"

"Same to you, Kat!"

"Jess! So great to hear from you! Please tell me you've broken up with Rory because now you realize I'm the love of your life!"

Jess grinned. That was Kat, alright.

"No can do, kitten, sorry 'bout that."

"Yeah, yeah, blah blah, you know you're forgiven. Just because you're so damn cute, mind you!"

"Honored, Kat!"

"So…how's life?"

Jess couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

"Life is great. No regrets about moving back so far. Luke seems to like having me back, Lorelai actually treats me like a human being and Rory…well, she's Rory."

"So you don't regret leaving me all alone here?"

The sound of something crashing and Kat yelping was clear to hear.

"Unless you developed telekinetic skills over the last few days, it doesn't sound like you're all alone out there."

"True, I'm having a little party, but it lacks something. Don't laugh at me, it does."

Jess sat down on the floor, the phone in his lap, trying not to laugh, but failing miserably.

"Do you have a punch bowl over there?"

"He's my special guest of honor."

"Than nothing seems to be lacking."

Kat relented. "Guess not. But…since you caught me before we exchange our vows and I become a happily intoxicated Mrs. Punch bowl…how's school hunting?"

"I think you should sit down."

"That kind of news? I need a glass of my fiancé. Hang on."

She let the phone slip and came back a minute later. Taking a large sip, she picked up again.

"Continue…"

"Well, I have two words for you. One of them is some kind of plant often used around Christmas."

"I hate riddles, Mariano, especially since my liquid lover here is not helping my brain to function."

"Think…wait, I'll give you a hint. It begins with an I"

"Mistletoe!"

"Kat, that doesn't start with an I"

"But it's a plant. And Christmassy too"

"Stop wining, Kat, think harder"

"Okay, hold your horses, I'm trying to think. Let's see…plant…some kind of plant…Christmas…I…Ivy…IVY…IVY LEAGUE! You got into Yale!"

"Ding ding ding, you just won first prize!"

"My god, that's…I'm so damn proud of you!"

"Thanks, I'm proud myself."

"You should be. How did Rory react?"

"She doesn't know yet. I haven't even told her I was applying. Didn't want to get her hopes up too high, in case they didn't want me."

"Of course they want you, stupid! When are you telling her?"

"I wanted to wait until Christmas eve, make it a surprise, for her and Luke."

"Do you think you can manage keeping your mouth shut for another 5 days?"

"I have to, I guess. It'll be difficult, but that's why I called you now. I had to tell someone, before I would burst."

"Well, thanks for thinking about me then. Please let me know how you're doing sometime. Look, I really gotta hang up now, my fiancé is being savagely attacked and quickly losing its lovely substance. He's counting on me to save him."

"I won't keep you from your noble quest then. Just do me a favor…practice safe sex with this guy, or you can call your kids Cirrhoses and Korsakov!"

"Very funny, Mariano! I'll send you a birth card. Hanging up now. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Say hi to Rory for me!"

"Will do and Merry Christmas to you too. Bye kitten!"

"Bye Jess!"

At very long last, December 24th came along. Jess found himself sitting on the floor of the apartment, surrounded by gifts and wrapping paper. This was most definitely not his favorite pastime but it had to be done. Setting his brain on automatic pilot he grabbed the first thing his hand found to start the ordeal. It was a blue woolen scarf he'd got Lorelai. Okay, wrap it, tape it, string it, label it. Done. Next.

His hand grabbed the next thing. An envelope. The envelope. How did that get between his Christmas presents? Just as he was about to set it aside, he changed his mind. He had enough colorful wrapping paper (courtesy of Lorelai)…he grinned. Wrap it, tape it, string it, label it. To Rory…no…even though she was his soul and even though she'd made him want to register for college in the first place, this was not a gift for her. He took out a new label and wrote "To Luke".

So, what's next?

A/N: _What's next indeed. How will they react? You wanna know? Then make it worth it...you know how!_


	11. Telling the family

**Author's note**: Finally...I'm back! Back from a fun and inspriring vacation, to give you the next chapter...Jess finally gets to tell his family...Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I still haven't found a way yet to make them mine, so...they're still not.

Afternoon changed into evening, which finally made it Christmas eve. Jess dressed up in his Yale clothes. Partly because they had seemed to bring him luck, but also because Rory still thought he had bought him for the holidays. Luke eyed him over when he finally came out of the bathroom.

"Nice outfit."

"Thanks for noticing. You look well too. No flannel in sight."

He smirked when his uncle almost seemed to be blushing. When was the guy gonna admit he dressed up for a certain Gilmore as well? Probably never. Or maybe on his deathbed. Pity. He might even stand a real chance.

Without further conversation both men gathered their gifts and headed to the Gilmore residence, a.k.a. the Crap Shack, where they were invited to spend the evening.

As usual around Christmas, the Gilmore mansion was ablaze with lights, snowmen, reindeer, Santa's and God only knew what other stuff. God was probably pretty much the only one who wanted to know anyway. Or not. If he was smart. Still, Jess couldn't hide his smirk as he rang the doorbell.

Stumbling and chattering could be heard before the door was yanked open. By a stunningly beautiful, very Christmassy looking Rory, dressed in a knee-length red dress with white fur adorning the neckline and the hem of the skirt. On her feet were matching red boots with fur and on her head a Santa hat with again, more fur. On anyone but Rory would this look ridiculously childish, on Rory it looked stunning.

"Merry Christmas, Jess!"

Two arms were thrown around his neck and a kiss was planted on his lips. Eagerly he kissed her back, until Luke cleared his throat.

"You think you two can get inside before we freeze our butts off?"

Jess grinned while letting go of his girl. With one hand he held Rory's and with the other he wiped away some of the lipstick she left on his cheek. Boy was it great to be in love!

Inside the house they were greeted by a cheerful Lorelai, dressed like her daughter, except for the color of her outfit, which was green. Mother and child looked amazing according to uncle and nephew. Soon they were seated in the comfortable living room, which was transformed into a magical winter wonder land. A huge decorated tree stood proudly in the corner, piles of gifts stacked haphazardly underneath. Christmas bells, mistletoe, Santa dolls, stuffed reindeer puppets were scattered around amidst the other typical Gilmore stuff. Yet, the crowded room was a warm and peaceful retreat, instead of a mess.

Luke put the men's parcels next to the towering heap already there. It looked bright and colorful and ridiculous, but even Luke couldn't help but smile.

First of course the ladies insisted on singing carols, eating Christmas cookies Sookie made them, drinking hot chocolate (for once giving up on coffee for the holiday spirit) en playing stupid games until even Jess was annoyed enough for one night.. He was growing edgy, he really wanted to let them all in on his big secret. Soon, before he would burst. Thankfully, Luke managed to convince them that roasting marshmallows on an inside bonfire was not such a good idea. After that ordeal and after seeing the look that graced the men's faces, Lorelai announced it was time for gift-opening.

It was a great time, with nice presents, funny presents and beautiful presents only meant for the one you love the most. Second most beautiful moment for Jess was the look in Rory's eyes when he gently slid a simple silver ring on her finger. It was smooth with a single blue sapphire in the middle and two tiny diamonds on each side. The ring had reminded him of her eyes. To her it was a symbol of their new start together.

Then came the moment of truth. Jess had withdrawn the envelope from the pile when nobody was looking. He wanted it to be the last gift of the evening. He cleared his throat to attract attention and luckily got it immediately. He felt his hand shake a little, which was a new sensation for him. He couldn't believe he was this nervous. Well, best get on with it. He turned to Rory.

"Rory, I originally wanted to give this last gift to you, but somehow I think Luke is even more entitled to. Forgive me?"

Rory, wondering what he could possibly be talking about, could only nod. She hadn't been able to utter a word after Jess had given her the ring. Jess gave her a smirk and a small kiss before turning to his surprised uncle.

"Luke…I know I let you down last time. But you know I've been trying very hard lately to get my life back together. So this gift is a promise to you, and to Rory that I won't screw up this time. Because now I do value your faith in me. I'm sorry I didn't last time."

He swallowed an upcoming lump in his throat and handed Luke the envelope. Luke, still surprised, seemed to take forever to open the damn thing, but the look on his face when he held the Yale envelope was definitely worth it. He gingerly opened the envelope, almost as if he was afraid it would contain a bomb. He shuffled through the papers, mumbling in himself. Until it was clear that the meaning had hit him.

"Jess Mariano, these better be real, or you'll be responsible for my heart attack."

"They are real, Luke. I got in."

Rory, who was trying her hardest to take a glimpse at the papers Luke was holding, now gave up.

"Got in? Got in where?"

Without a word, Luke handed her the papers, before taking two steps toward his nephew. Then he hugged the younger man, not even trying to wipe the escaping tears away.

"Congratulations son, I'm so very damn proud of you."

Rory began shrieking behind him, jumping up and down with excitement, with Lorelai joining her after snatching the now fumbled mess of papers from her daughter.

"Jess is going to Yale, Jess is going to Yale", both girls began chanting, performing some kind of weird Indian style dance with Jess as a totem pole. Jess didn't notice much of it though. He'd lost contact with earth the moment Luke had called him 'son'. Luke's son, not just his wayward nephew. His kid. It felt good, incredibly good and amazing. And stupid. Stupid, because he had traveled far over several hundreds of miles from Connecticut to Los Angeles to find his biological father, only to find out he had left the real father behind…

He left the Gilmore house that night in an elated mood.

_Next to come..._Yale Costs Money!!!!

_Review-button loooooooooves you!!! _


	12. Can you pay my bill?

**Author's note**: I'm baaaack! Can you believe it? After over a year! Thank you, thank you, all fans of this story (are there any of you left?) for your patience, but I've been very sick this past year and unable to get the writing done. But I'm as good as new now and ready to go. So let's do it.

**Disclaimer**: They were on my "Get well" gifts list, but nope...haven't gotten them.

And now...on with it!

The elated mood shifted promptly after that night. And something very small triggered it. Jess was working in the diner the morning of the 27th as usual when a tourist seemed to have lost his wallet. The man was frantic, exceeding in apologies. Jess felt a bit sorry for him, but this was stars Hollow, so his wallet, if it was found, would be returned to it's owner with everything still tucked inside. However, the man was not to be pacified.

"I'm so very sorry for the inconvenience, really. If only I had checked my pockets before coming here without money. How am I gonna pay the bill now?"

Jess almost visibly cringed. He yelled for Luke to handle the man's problem and dashed upstairs.

In his room, with the door firmly closed, he let out a strong curse. He was so angry at himself, so annoyed. At Luke too for that matter. "How am I gonna pay now?" How indeed? Yale.

He applied and got into an Ivy League school and not even once had anyone considered the financial consequences. Glad he wasn't studying economy, he obviously lacked the talent.

Rummaging through his stuff, he found the envelope with his papers. Sigh. He had to call them, had to cancel his registration. Either that or ask anyone for help. But whom? Luke? No way, his uncle had done more for him already than he could ever in his life pay back. He sighed, remembering the proud look on his uncle's face when he'd seen the papers. Jess knew that the news of him not going there would devastate him. He would try and help Jess, even if he had to risk everything he had, everything being his own business. Never. The diner was Luke's pride and joy and having him put it all at stake just to help his nephew was just too much to ask.

Rory didn't have any money of her own, and he was damned if he would ask her to ask her grandparents. Even if they could afford to send both of them to Yale, they still weren't proud members of the Mariano fan club and the fact that even if they did help he would be in their debt wasn't something he was looking forward to. Lorelai was already in over her neck until the Dragonfly would be profitable enough…that didn't leave him much opening.

He couldn't get a loan with the little money he had saved up. No bank would offer him a loan without some reassurance they would eventually get it back. With interest. Stupid how you had to prove you had money in order to get a loan.

Other possibilities popped up and were dismissed as quickly as they entered his mind. Liz? Sure, she was a millionaire, or she would be if vodka was a legal currency. Jimmy? Same thing. If you exchange vodka for hotdogs. Another job? Sure, he could work at the diner, find an odd job around New Haven, save up a lot of money for college he wouldn't attend due to lack of time. Not to mention, he would hardly get to see Rory. No…not an option.

The only thing left to do was getting this whole transfer undone. But when? And how? How could he disappoint Rory, who was so proud of him and how was he supposed to face Luke?

The last one happened to just come up the stairs, finding his nephew sitting on the edge of the bed, completely morose. He had no idea what had come over him or why he couldn't handle the problem with the customer himself. Usually, Jess knew the policy of the diner as well as he did. So what was bothering him now?

"Jess, you okay? What happened downstairs?"

Jess sighed. Better just tell him now, get it over with.

"I'm gonna have to cancel Yale, Luke."

"Cancel? Why on earth would you cancel. Is it something with the transfer? Because that can be solved with some calls, I'm sure."

"No, there's nothing wrong with that, I just…"

He was interrupted before he could form an answer.

"You think you can't do it? Is that it? Because you can Jess, I know you can. You've come such a long way and if you really put in the effort, you can succeed in this."

Luke sighed. Never in his life had he been more proud of anything or anyone than on Christmas eve. He'd always known his nephew was smart, and now that he was willing to work for it the boy just couldn't afford to have cold feet. He looked up to see Jess shake his head sadly.

"That's not the problem either, Luke. I mean, I know I can do this. And believe me, I want to. Finally, I want to, but it's just that…"

Again, he didn't know how to finish. Luke was completely oblivious. "It's what Jess?"

Tell him, just tell him now, just blurt it out. There's nothing you can do to chage the course of this conversation anymore. "I can't afford it."

There, he said it. Now he could tell what was coming, he knew his uncle all to well.

"Yes, you can." See? He knew that's what Luke would answer. Did he have any clue what Ivy League colleges asked for fees, rent, books, etc.?

"No, Luke I can't. You can't either by the way, so don't offer, I won't take it."

Luke sat down next to him, almost comically adopting the same pose. For a moment, he seemed as lost as Jess felt, but then, with a sudden outburst:

"Well, you're going to Yale. I don't care where I'm gonna find the money, but I will. You've come this far and I'll die before I let you miss out on this unique chance."

Jess swallowed an upcoming lump in his throat. He wasn't used to that kind of support, but it felt amazing to get it. Even if it didn't actually get him anywhere nearer to the gates of the Ivy League.

Later that evening, an emergency meeting was set up. Jess, Rory, Lorelai and Luke went straight upstairs after closing the diner to try and come up with a plan that would put an end to their problems and send Jess to college.

Surprisingly, it was Lorelai who seemed the most dedicated, and maybe she was. This new Jess was a nice man who made her child happy and that was enough for her to be on his side from now on. They went through all kinds of plans, from getting an extra mortgage on the diner (which Jess refused because it would put too much of a burden on Luke's shoulders), to selling Rory's new car (which he refused with a sad shake of his head and a kiss for her will to sacrifice it), but none of them could come up with a permanent solution that wouldn't harm any of them.

Jess sank lower and lower into his depression, unconsciously clutching his admission papers closer to his chest, as a safety guard he desperately needed. He didn't want to have to call them, didn't want to miss his one and only chance to become the man he wanted to be.

Then, suddenly, the phone rang. Jess, who sat closest, grabbed the receiver. Ignoring Luke's warning to answer correctly or else…"Luke's. We're closed. See you tomorrow, or rather not."

He was about to hang up, when he just in time heard who it was. "Jess? Don't hang up yet. It's me."

"Jimmy? What are you calling for? Christmas is over and New Years eve isn't till a couple of days. So unless it's something serious…"

"It is. I have some good news for you."

"Spill." He wasn't interested in his father's good news, but what the hey? He could use the distraction.

"Sasha's old man died."

"And exactly how is that good news? That's just like you Jimmy, thinking of someone's death as good news."

"The guy was an asshole, but he was filthy rich and Sasha's his only child."

"Again, how does that make it good news for me?"

"Because of Sasha. Hang on, I'll let her explain herself."

Jess heard a rustle and then the female voice of Jimmy's girlfriend sang in his ears. "Hey Jess."

"Hi Sasha, sorry 'bout your dad."

"Don't be, he was sick, old and grumpy and had quite enough of his life. So…wanna hear the news?"

"Yeah, sure."

"You're going to college."

"So that's where those papers on my desk came from!"

"Don't be such a smart-ass, living with one is hard enough."

"Complain to Rory about that, I'm sure she can relate."

"I'm sure she can indeed, but now let me get to the point."

"Takes you long enough."

"Then stop interrupting me, you big baby!"

Grinning, Jess decided he'd teased her enough. "Okay, let's hear it."

"Well, I figured going to a posh place like Yale is gonna cost some hard cash, which you don't have…"

"Sasha…don't. Just don't go there. I can't take it from you. Thanks for thinking of me, but I can't. It wouldn't be right."

"Jess, please just hear me out, don't interrupt and if you still don't want it when I'm done, then I can't help it. But first just listen, okay?"

He gave in. It wouldn't hurt to hear her out.

"Jess, your dad has been honest with me from the moment I met him. I've always known about your existence and even though I've never criticized him for the way he left you for Lily's sake, I've always felt that you never got what you deserved. Now you know Jimmy and he wouldn't have been able to pay alimony for you if he tried, but that's not an excuse and it certainly doesn't make things right. So in the light of that, helping you make a future for yourself isn't charity, it's a long overdue debt. Added up it doesn't even cover the alimony your mom should have gotten. So please, let us pay for your school and don't take notice of where it's coming from. We can't offer you more than that."

It was silent for a long time. Then Jess sighed. "That's a lot to think about, Sasha. Do you mind if I think about it for a while and call you back tomorrow?"

"Of course I don't mind. Just one more thing Jess…I know it looks and sounds like we're buying you off, but that's not our goal. We're just trying to right a wrong that was done long time ago…try to consider that, would you?"

"I will. Thanks Sasha, I'll let you know."

**AN**: That's it. I promise I won't keep you waiting for another year before updating. That is...if you want me to...let me know, hit the review button!


	13. Ivy League Kids

**AN**: Here it is, on Friday the 13th I'm giving you the 13th and last chapter of this story. It'll be an extra long one, including a little epilogue. Hope you've enjoyed it. Thanks a lot for reading and reviewing!1

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked, I still didn't own them.

On we go...

He did think about it. Hard. It remained silent for a long time in the room, with Luke, Lorelai and Rory watching him, waiting for him to tell them all what the call was all about. When he did, it remained silent for a while longer, allowing Jess to contemplate it some more. But he couldn't find a way out of the turmoil in his head. Sure, it would be a way out, the only way that wouldn't involve more debt for himself, his uncle or Rory. But on the other hand, it did feel like being bought, even though that was not Sasha's intention. He did believe that.

He talked to Luke about it. Luke thought he should do it.

"Jess, they can spare the money, they want you to use it. It's not just a gift, your dad is finally willing and able to provide for you. It must have taken him a lot of pride to do this."

Jess listened to Luke reasoning, but even though his arguments were acceptable, he still wasn't quite sure. So he asked the other person he loved. Her arguments weighed a lot in his decision scale. Her final opinion would make the difference. It was a little cowardly, he figured, but he didn't know how to deal with this by himself.

Rory agreed with Luke, while still giving him another point of view.

"Jess, my dad never got himself involved in my education. He never paid a dime for Chilton, he never contributed one dollar to get me through Yale, he just never seemed to think about it. And even though we can manage pretty well without him, his neglect hurts sometimes, knowing he will provide all these things for Gigi when she grows up. I have to beg for attention from Chris, but I've given up on that. At least Jimmy is coming to you first, thinking of you first. Take it Jess, please. Even if this is the last time he shows some interest in you or your education, believe me, it's better than nothing."

Jess gently stroked her cheek, cursing in himself for his total lack of understanding. Sure, Rory had seen her dad more often than he had seen his, but by seeing him she was constantly reminded of the bond they didn't have, one he did have with her half-sister. Maybe he wasn't worse off than she was, maybe it was just the other way around.

And going to Yale meant a lot to him: to get an education, to show Luke, Rory, Lorelai and himself what he was capable of, to be with Rory and not having to wait until the weekend before seeing her again…he really wanted to go to Yale. He nodded at his uncle and his girlfriend.

"I'm gonna accept their offer." They all just nodded back and watched as Jess grabbed the phone to call California…

New Year's eve was very special, as he held Rory in his arms while she leaned back against him, watching the fireworks together.

The days and the weekend after that were spent reading, making out, having snowball fights, making out some more until…

Monday, January 5th, 2004:

Jess reported himself at the front desk of Yale's administration building. Today no lessons were planned to enable all students to get themselves and their stuff settled in again before classes began again.

Jess got a map of the premises and, more important, the keys to his dorm room. He would be alone, since his alleged roommate dropped out just before the holidays. He might get a roommate later, but probably not before next school year. Jess didn't mind at all. With all the books he had carried with him, he needed all the space he could get. Plus, it would be so much easier to have Rory over now. She could even sleep over without disturbing anyone.

He was done "decorating" in less than an hour. All he had to do was make the bed, put his shaving stuff, his soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, hairbrush and gel by the sink, stuff his clothes in the closet and fill his book cabinet, which took up most time. After he was done, he took in his new surroundings. It wasn't quite homey, but it would do. Plus, with Rory coming in, he wouldn't have to occupy himself with making it homey at all.

The object of his affection sneaked up behind him and snaked her slender arms around his waist.

"I can't believe how lucky you are! You have the entire room to yourself!"

Jess grinned and turned to hug her. "You think?"

Rory looked confused. "I thought, they said…"

"They said I have no roommate. But surely that doesn't mean I'll be alone in here all that much?"

Rory caught on and slightly blushed. In a mock stern voice she reprimanded him.

"Heavens no, young man. We're here to study. No hanky-panky on a school-night."

Jess smirked and buried his head in the crook of her neck. He peppered her neck with tiny kisses before suckling on a very sensitive spot. Rory groaned, her stern face and words forgotten. "Jess…"

He retreated. "Sorry…I guess that counts as hanky-panky and since you don't want that…"

Frustrated, Rory grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a long and satisfying kiss. In between kisses, she managed to mumble that since they didn't officially start the new semester, a little hanky-panky wouldn't do them any harm.

Consequently, she ended up not leaving his room at all that night and getting in her first morning class just a little late. And a little flustered. But o so very happy.

Years later…

Time had gone by so fast for both of them. Here they were, Rory and Jess, packing their belongings for the last time. With a little melancholy Rory looked at the bare walls, the empty shelves of her bookcase, the stripped mattress on her bed. The one she would never sleep in again. The one she had hardly slept in anyway. She'd spent most of her time in Jess's dorm room. He'd had just one roommate all this time, and he was just an exchange student from South Africa, there for just one semester. Other than that, he'd had the place for himself. Where he was packing up as well.

Jess's years at Yale had gone by reasonably well. He wasn't the class mastermind, but he was doing fine for himself, his confidence showing more and more with each approval from his teachers. Rory of course had grades on her graduation list that would make Einstein look humble. But she was more proud of his achievements than those of her own.

Other than that, everything was going great. If Jess was a person who would hold hands and skip, he would.

Luke was still very proud of him. He now kept referring to Jess as his kid, and Jess knew he wasn't just making a mistake. Luke really felt it that way, and Jess was more happy with that than with his Ivy League degree.

Jimmy called sometimes. Christmases, Birthdays, Thanksgivings, days like that. That was it. They would talk for a while (never about the money) before he would put Lily on the phone. It had hurt in the beginning, the fact that, even though Jimmy paid for his education, his own father had no clue how to talk to him, but after four years of constantly trying he didn't really care anymore. He had enough to live for.

Like next week, when he and Rory would take a flight to sunny California to go see Kat. She had called about a month before demanding they would both come over to attend her wedding. Yes indeed, Kat Mendosa was getting hitched. After Jess had left California with Rory, she'd received three anonymous Valentine's day cards, went on three blind dates with each of the senders and got stuck to one of them. His name was Ian and he really was Jess's twin. Tall and blond. They had both laughed about that, but Jess was very happy Kat was so much in love.

All others were doing well too. Sookie and Jackson had another child; a beautiful girl this time, Dean and Lindsay were having their first baby in a few months and… Lorelei and Luke were finally dating.

Their future looked brighter than a star and with his new family Jess knew he had found his home…

THE END

_Like? Don't like? More stories? Stop writing? You tell me! Please be kind. _


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